Mirpur Division’s phase of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly elections has produced an early advantage for the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), which has secured seven of the thirteen seats declared so far, against three for the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).
With results still awaited from three constituencies, PML-N is projected to add two more seats, while PPP is expected to pick up one, potentially pushing the party’s final tally in the division to nine seats against four for PPP.
Mirpur District: PPP and PML-N Split Evenly
In Mirpur district itself, the two parties split the four seats down the middle.
PML-N’s Azhar Sadiq won LA-1 Mirpur-1 with 15,427 votes, defeating PPP’s M. Afsar Shahid, who polled 9,832 votes.
PPP struck back in LA-2 Mirpur-2, where Qasim Majeed secured victory with 12,904 votes against PML-N’s Azim Bukhsh, who received 8,182 votes.
The party held its ground in LA-3 Mirpur-3 as well, with Ch. Yasir Sultan winning 11,676 votes to defeat PML-N’s Ch. Muhammad Saeed, who polled 9,832 votes.
PML-N reclaimed the advantage in LA-4 Mirpur-4, where Ch. Rukhsar Ahmed cruised to victory with 20,172 votes against PPP’s Ch. Sohaib Arshad, who secured 13,865 votes.
Bhimber: PML-N Dominates, Two Results Still Pending
PML-N has emerged as the dominant force in Bhimber district. In LA-7 Bhimber-3, Ch. Tariq Farooq secured a commanding win with 35,490 votes, comfortably ahead of independent candidate Ch. Anwarul Haq, who polled 25,100 votes.
Two Bhimber contests remain unresolved but are trending decisively toward PML-N. In LA-5 Bhimber-1, with results in from 174 of 176 polling stations, Waqar Ahmed Noor holds a clear lead with 21,573 votes against PPP’s Ch. Parvez Ashraf, who has polled 18,406 votes. Similarly, in LA-6 Bhimber-2, with 184 of 195 polling stations reporting, Ch. Muhammad Razaq leads by a wide margin with 27,074 votes, well ahead of Ali Shan Ch. of the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP), who has secured 14,685 votes. Both seats are expected to be formally confirmed for PML-N.
Kotli: A Closely Contested District
Kotli district, the largest in the division with six constituencies, produced the most competitive races of the day.
PPP opened with a win in LA-8 Kotli-1, where Zafar Iqbal Malik defeated PML-N’s Malik M. Nawaz Khan by a margin of 19,535 votes to 11,966.
PML-N answered in LA-9 Kotli-2, where Umair Naeem narrowly held off PPP’s Javed Iqbal Bharhanvi, winning 31,080 votes to 28,509 — one of the tightest margins of the day.
The outstanding seat in the district, LA-10 Kotli-3, remains provisional but leans toward PPP, with Ch. M. Yasin leading Fatah Mehmoodul Hasan of PML-N by 6,999 votes to 3,560.
PML-N secured the remaining three Kotli seats. In LA-11 Kotli-4, Muhammad Asif defeated PPP’s Ch. M. Akhlaq, 26,190 votes to 21,751. In LA-12 Kotli-5, Muhammad Riasat edged out PPP’s Ch. Muhammad Yasin in another tight contest, winning 35,168 votes to 30,320. And in LA-13 Kotli-6, Raja Ayaz Ahmed comfortably defeated IPP’s Nisar Ansar Abdali, 21,856 votes to 15,859.
What It Means
With Mirpur Division largely accounted for, PML-N’s early lead sets the tone ahead of the next two phases of the AJK Legislative Assembly election — Muzaffarabad Division and refugee constituencies on August 2, followed by Poonch Division on August 10. The party’s strong showing in Bhimber, coupled with a competitive but favorable outcome in Kotli, gives it a firm foundation heading into the remaining rounds, though PPP’s resilience in several closely fought Kotli seats suggests the overall contest for the assembly remains far from settled.